Nevada Sex Worker Vase

Nevada Sex Worker vase; one of three made during the artist's residency at Clay Arts Center of Las Vegas.

Her statement for this line is: "This piece discusses Nevada sex workers and the laws governing them. The decals are images of actual business cards for Las Vegas escorts, each card collected from The Strip."

Her broader artist statement: "Throughout time, dining has always been viewed as a sensual experience. Food and drink ignite the senses, and the flowers on the dining table are literally the sex organ of the plant. By drawing graphic and erotic sexual scenes on food and flower vessels, I seek to highlight the sensuality inherent in the dining experience. In addition, I throw almost all my work on the potter's wheel, which is in itself a sensual act of movement and touch: the clay slips through my fingers and responds to my caress. The sexual imagery couples the slippery sensuality of creation and the aromatic experience of eating. Furthermore, both sharing a meal and having sex are highly intimate experiences; I combine both acts into one in all my work.

​

I am now interested in gender politics and the legislation about sex in this country. My most recent work not only depicts sexual images, but it also contains statements about prostitution law. Just as a dish might be used by many people over the course of its life, a sex worker can be employed by multitudes, too. Just as a large bowl serves many people and is passed around the table at a large gathering, sex workers are also passed around. Just as large meals shared between friends and family can be full of emotion, sex workers, too, provide emotional nourishment for the people who partake. I aim to raise awareness of how some forms of nourishment are encouraged whereas others are taboo."